Jay Witasick

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American baseball player (born 1972)

title: "Jay Witasick" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1972-births", "living-people", "american-expatriate-baseball-players-in-canada", "arkansas-travelers-players", "baseball-coaches-from-maryland", "baseball-players-from-baltimore", "brevard-tornados-baseball-players", "colorado-rockies-players", "colorado-springs-sky-sox-players", "durham-bulls-players", "edmonton-trappers-players", "fresno-grizzlies-players", "harford-fighting-owls-baseball-coaches", "huntsville-stars-players", "johnson-city-cardinals-players", "kansas-city-royals-players", "madison-hatters-players", "lake-elsinore-storm-players", "major-league-baseball-pitchers", "modesto-a's-players", "new-york-yankees-players", "oakland-athletics-players", "people-from-bel-air,-harford-county,-maryland", "portland-beavers-players", "sacramento-river-cats-players", "san-diego-padres-players", "san-francisco-giants-players", "savannah-cardinals-players", "st.-petersburg-cardinals-players", "stockton-ports-players", "tampa-bay-devil-rays-players", "umbc-retrievers-baseball-players", "vero-beach-devil-rays-players", "american-sports-agents"] description: "American baseball player (born 1972)" topic_path: "science/astronomy" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Witasick" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American baseball player (born 1972) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox baseball biography"]

Field	Value
name	Jay Witasick
image	Sunday013.jpg
position	Pitcher
bats	Right
throws	Right
birth_date
birth_place	Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.
debutleague	MLB
debutdate	July 7
debutyear	1996
debutteam	Oakland Athletics
finalleague	MLB
finaldate	September 26
finalyear	2007
finalteam	Tampa Bay Devil Rays
statleague	MLB
stat1label	Win–loss record
stat1value	32–41
stat2label	Earned run average
stat2value	4.64
stat3label	Strikeouts
stat3value	645
::

Oakland Athletics (–)
Kansas City Royals (–)
San Diego Padres (–)
New York Yankees ()
San Francisco Giants ()
San Diego Padres (–)
Colorado Rockies ()
Oakland Athletics (–)
Tampa Bay Devil Rays () Gerald Alphonse "Jay" Witasick Jr. (; born August 28, 1972) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He pitched all or parts of 12 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1996 to 2007, primarily as a relief pitcher.

High school and college

Witasick attended C. Milton Wright High School (Bel Air, Maryland) and Brevard Community College (Melbourne, Florida) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He also played in the Maryland Semi-Professional Baseball League All-Star Game in 1991.

Professional career

Witasick was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 2nd round of the 1993 Major League Baseball draft. He made his MLB debut on July 7, 1996 as a member of the Oakland Athletics against the California Angels. In 1997 and 1998, he spent time with the Athletics in spring training. In his first three seasons with Oakland, he made a combined 27 appearances.

In 1999, Witasick was traded to the Kansas City Royals for a player to be named, Scott Chiasson, and was mainly used as a starter. In 32 appearances, 28 starts, Witasick was 9–12 with a 5.57 ERA in innings. He struck out 102 and walked 83 batters. He began the following season with the Royals before being traded to the San Diego Padres for Brian Meadows. Overall between the two teams, Witasick was 6–10 with a 5.82 ERA in 150 innings. In 2001, he was converted into a reliever full time, and was traded midseason by the Padres to the New York Yankees for D'Angelo Jiménez. In a career high 63 appearances between both teams, he was 8–2 with 106 strikeouts in 79 innings. During the 2001 World Series, he appeared in one game, Game 6, in which he tied Grover Cleveland Alexander for the most earned runs allowed in a game in the Fall Classic—8 ER, in just innings. In December 2001, he was traded to the San Francisco Giants for John Vander Wal. In 44 appearances for the Giants, he was 0–1 with a 2.37 ERA. In innings, he struck out 54. In December 2002, he signed a two-year deal to return to the San Diego Padres.

He missed most of the 2003 season with a strained tendon in his elbow, appearing in only 46 games. He was 3–7 with a 4.53 ERA. In his second season, he rebounded with a 3.21 ERA in 44 games. He was a free agent after the season and signed a one-year deal with the Colorado Rockies. In 32 games with the Rockies, he was 0–4 with a 2.52 ERA before being traded to the Oakland A's in a deal that sent Eric Byrnes to the Rockies. After the deal, he was 1–1 in innings. After the 2005 season ended, Witasick signed a two-year contract to remain with the Athletics.

He spent the majority of the 2006 season on the disabled list with a left ankle injury. On June 2, 2007, Witasick was designated for assignment by the A's and released on June 7. On June 12, he was signed to a one-year deal by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. On October 25, 2007, the Devil Rays released him, ending his professional playing career.

Post-playing career

Witasick joined the Harford Community College baseball team as an assistant coach for the 2008 season. He remained with Hart ford as pitching coach through at least the 2011 season. While coaching, Witasick also worked for TWC Sports Management, and later became a sports agent and represented Terrance Gore.

References

(May 21, 1992). "UMBC's tournament run is staff by fewer walks". Baltimore Sun.
(February 4, 1991). "TITANS HAVE WEALTH OF TALENT ON HAND TO USE". Orlando Sentinel.
(June 20, 1992). "With visions of big leagues". Baltimore Sun.
(July 6, 1991). "EVERYONE PITCHES IN TO LEAD NORTH SEMI-PROS TO WIN". Baltimore Sun.
(June 5, 1993). "THREE AREA PLAYERS DRAFTED". Washington Post.
(March 22, 1997). "Transactions". The New York Times.
(March 3, 1998). "A's NOTEBOOK / Witasick Makes Strong Pitch". SFGate.
(March 5, 1998). "Witasick enters the picture".
(June 10, 1999). "Fast start proves good enough". SFGate.
(September 18, 1999). "A's night of the living dread". SFGate.
(August 16, 2000). "Meadows hurls Royals 9-3- victory over Twins". Brainerd Dispatch.
(July 31, 2000). "Padres swap Meadows for Witasick". United Press International.
(August 1, 2000). "Trade Now, Reap Harvest In the Fall". Washington Post.
(June 24, 2001). "Padres send Witasick to Yanks". Deseret News.
(2020-05-03). "Revisiting Jay Witasick's meltdown in Game 6 of the 2001 World Series".
(December 13, 2001). "Yankees unload Witasick to Giants". ESPN.com.
(December 14, 2001). "Giants deal for Witasick / Vander Wal sent to Yanks in return". SFGate.
(December 24, 2002). "Padres welcome back Witasick". CBC.
(February 22, 2003). "Witasick on deck for fresh start with Padres". Baltimore Sun.
(April 13, 2003). "Home Runs Are Up In First Week". The Ledger.
(March 25, 2003). "Padres Release Cordova, Claim Matthews". Huron Daily Tribune.
(April 4, 2003). "Coping with bullpens in crisis". South Coast Today.
(April 27, 2005). "Rockies call up Mohr and Witasick and send two down to minors". KUSA (TV).
(July 13, 2005). "Rockies play trading game". Denver Post.
(November 1, 2005). "Rox miss out on Witasick". Denver Post.
(November 1, 2005). "A's decline Hatteberg's option, sign Witasick, hire hitting coach". ESPN.com.
(April 15, 2006). "Transactions". The New York Times.
(April 15, 2006). "Diamond Notes: Bonds' conviction difficult?". Milford Daily News.
(June 4, 2007). "Team gives Witasick release he requested". SFGate.
(June 4, 2007). "Witasick is taken off roster". East Bay Times.
(June 13, 2007). "Tampa Bay signs relief pitcher Witasick". Ocala Star Banner.
(July 13, 2007). "Rays Sign Reliever For 7th-Inning Role". The Ledger.
(June 17, 2007). "Devil Rays sign Witasick". ESPN.com.
(October 26, 2007). "BASEBALL NOTEBOOK: Phillies hire ex-Rays GM LaMar". Herald-Tribune.
(October 26, 2007). "World Series result, schedule; transactions". Columbus Dispatch.
(October 27, 2007). "MLB NOTEBOOK Girardi unlikely to replace Little; around the leagues". Daily Breeze.
"Harford Community College Profile".
(August 6, 2011). "Harford Community College signs four county baseball stars". Perry County Times.
(August 6, 2011). "Mind Over Matter – Jay Witasick '93". University of Maryland Baltimore County.
(October 1, 2022). "'I'm trying to catch Tom Brady': How Terrance Gore's unusual career got him three rings ... and counting". ESPN.com.

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